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What better display of smart design than humor to freshen up your living space? We gathered 11 original and amusing home accessories that we believe can make a room a more enjoyable place to live. By Freshome

Taking cues from the fashion and art world, paint super giant Benjamin Moore has released their color trends for 2013 on their blog today. Categorizing each new color family into four distinct palettes, they’ve laid out unique and envelope-pushing ideas to create the perfect pallet for your pad. Take a look and leave your comments:

Urbanite Palette – “The raw and edgy side of our Urbanite design theme was influenced by pattern, color and the desire for a new take on contemporary styling.” – Benjamin Moore

Ubanite Palette in Action – “Yellow and blue are such a traditional color combination, but when we added green-based grays to the mix, we got the exciting palette this contemporary theme needed.” – Benjamin Moore

New Traditional Palette – “This wonderfully sophisticated theme illustrates the best of geometric pattern and color to create a new twist on the conventional look of time-honored style.” -Benjamin Moore

New Traditional Palette in Action - “Feminine colors such as dusty mauve mixed with masculine shades of evening dove and baja dunes offer a mature compromise for this theme.” – Benjamin Moore

Artisan Palette - “Deep, rich and cozy is the only way to describe the Artisan color palette.” -Benjamin Moore

Artisan Palette in Action - “It’s all about found objects and family heirlooms. Surround yourself in this eclectic mix of cherished items and warm comforting colors, you may never leave the space!” – Benjamin Moore

Coastal Palette - “Think of very soft and fluid colors; the next level of “spa” used in many bathroom design schemes, finding it’s way into other rooms in the home.” – Benjamin Moore

Whilst in Budapest, we visited the home of Gordon Finlayson and Natella Safar Ali, recent transplants from Dubai. Living in Budapest (and most of Europe for that matter) comes with different offerings than the Western world. 19th century buildings which stood through world wars and public strife now play as safe haven for city dwellers and boast tall ceilings, herringbone parquet floors and gracious windows that open onto small but intimate terraces.

In Gordon and Natella’s flat, the use of crisp white and cream colors is an amazing contrast to the colorful books and keepsakes they have collected on their world travels. The simple lines of minimal furniture complimented thick glossy door trim and vintage chandeliers. Many thanks to them for opening up their home (and a bottle of champagne).

Pink is never easy to pull off. From quelling the fears of the men in the home to incorporating this derivative of red into any space has certainly been a challenge for me. My recommendation is to make the pink work hard for it’s money. Don’t over do the color so it’s assaulting, rather, use a deep hugh as a pop color in a stark white bathroom.

Here, the eye is immediately drown to to this delicious shade of pink set against the cold tile of this posh bathroom.

Since pink is a not-so-distant relative of red, it can inspire femininity and passion while portraying a quiet strength and style. It’s elegant and gentle while being utterly eye-catching and often daringly avant-garde.

I’ve been through a total kitchen remodel myself and the process is daunting to say the least. In earlier years, painting cabinets in lieu of replacing was tantamount to tackiness. Now, as colors and styles evolve, turning drab and outdated cabinetry into a bold statement to compliment your gastronomic activities is creative and downright affordable.Read the article

Sometimes it’s good to stop and notice things you walk by everyday. When closing the curtains to keep the July sun out of my living room, the silhouette of the furniture and items caught my eye. The haphazard arrangement of the vase and mini cast iron train set reminded me of summer evenings spent playing on my grandmother’s porch.

Consider this: What if you were faced with this statement everyday when you walked into your living room? How would it change the way you feel about your space, or about your life for that matter? Using positive, affirmative thoughts as decor sets the tone like this home in South Africa has done. Click the image to see the whole house.

Mixing unorthodox materials such as plumbing pipe into your space’s pallet creates functional whimsy – one of my favorite things! Since pipe can be molded into almost any right angle configuration with elbow joints, the sky is the limit for it’s uses in your space.